


Flower Buds

by Elkian (SuperImposed)



Category: Homestuck, Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Everyone Lives And Nothing Hurts, Fluff, Gen, Headcanon As Fic, Mommy Issues, Playing Fast And Loose With Continuity (When Do We Not?), Post-Sburb, Sickeningly Sappy Familial Fluff, Somebody Actually Shows Jack Spicer Affection, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-08
Updated: 2014-06-08
Packaged: 2018-02-03 22:39:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,656
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1758717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperImposed/pseuds/Elkian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes you have relatives. And sometimes, you have family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When Jack Met Rose

**Author's Note:**

> I've had the base idea for this in my head for a while, but wasn't sure what to do with it. Much as I'd love to do a long, meandering, epic saga with this? I have no good ideas for a full plot right now, and am really damn tired of writing stuff with no real conclusion or ending in mind.
> 
> So instead, I've taken some of my better tidbit ideas and put this baby together. Each chapter is stand-alone, but related to the others (just like the characters!).

When he is five and she is three - _and a half!_ , she would cry insistently - his mother drags him to her house, shoves him into the immaculate family room, and tells him to _Be good, Jackie._ Then she shuts the door in his face. Jack is five and he is used to her shutting the door in his face.

 

What he initially takes for a pillow on the spotless white couch is, in fact, a small blonde girl. Her head is buried in what looked like a Zoobook, and she didn’t look up as he wandered over.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

She raised a single colorless brow, which would have impressed Jack had he been older and incapable of doing so himself. “Rose.”

 

“I’m Jack.”

 

“Jackie-Wackie?” she singsonged, looking him straight in the eye, and he noticed that hers were purple.

 

“No, _Rosie-Posie_.”

 

At which point she hit him with the Zoobook.

 

After sulking in the corner for what felt like an hour (His mom hadn’t allowed him any electronics, though she’d at least packed his crochet supplies) but was probably a few minutes, he stood up and wandered over again.

 

“Watcha readin’?”

 

“Zoobook,” she replied sullenly, settling even deeper into the corner of the couch.

 

Jack kiiiiinda wanted to smack the twerp for ignoring him, but then again, she was just a baby. He was the big kid here. Also, if his mom thought he’d gotten in a fight she’d probably force him into piano lessons again.

 

“Can I see?” Not waiting for an answer, he shoved his way into a spot next to her. “Big cats, huh? Cats are okay I… guess...”

 

Jack boggled.

 

“What the HECK are those?”

 

Rose looked to where he pointed. “Tentacles.”

 

“And those…?”

 

“Extra eyes. So he can catch more mouses.”

 

“Of course,” Jack replied faintly. It wasn’t that she’d scribbled in the book, it was how creepily realistic her work was.

 

Rose looked straight up into his eyes. “It was boring.”

 

“A-huh.” Jack settled back. “How much of this can you read, Rosie?”

 

“A lot.” She started pointing out words. “The… buh-big… c….cats…. of…. the… w..w...w...”

 

“World.”

 

She glared at him. “Was GETTING to that.”

 

He rolled his eyes. _Children._

 

“Want me to read it to you?”

 

She shoved the book into his hands. “Make sure you get their names right.” Rose pointed out what looked like a scribble. It was indeed a name. Jack squinted.

 

“Hegly’bfkitty? Catcatca’catcat? Mutin’ini-”

 

“ _Myu_ -tin’ini,” she corrected, with all the imperiousness of a toddler who knows EXACTLY that they have named their toys. Or Zoobook cats, apparently.

 

“Okay then.”

 

Half an hour of stumbling over increasingly exotic cat names - _really, what was wrong with Fluffy?_ \- later, Jack’s mother stopped gabbing and came to collect him.

 

“Oh, Jackie, did you and Rosie get along okay?” She turned her painted smile on the little girl and repeated, “Did my wittle Jackster and pwetty Wosie get along otay?” She turned without waiting for an answer, missing how Rose’s violet eyes narrowed dangerously.

 

_Baby talk._

 

Mrs. Spicer had made a formidable foe indeed this day.


	2. When Rose Met Jack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inconvenient conveniences, courtesy Sburb.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Most of these chapters are unbeta'ed and may be refined over time.)

He picked up on the first ring. “Rosie-Posie! How’s my favorite cousin doing? Is that Sylladex working for you?”

There was a brief pause. “I’m doing well enough, and the Sylladex has been extremely handy, _Jackie-Wackie_.”

Sounds of battle came from the other side of the line. “Good, good, I’m glad it’s- whoa!”

“Am I interrupting something?”

“Huh? Oh, no, just - ouch - climactic pitched battle between evil and good. Happens all the time!”

“I see,” she said, sounding amused. “Well, when you’re not fighting for the fate of all humanity, I’d like to see you again.”

“Huh? Oh, sure! How about your house, two- ouch - make that five hours?”

Painted lips curled into a smile. “I look forward to it.”

\---

The door opened moments before he knocked. “Hello, Jack.” Rose smiled as she ushered him in. “How have you been?” she asked, running a practiced eye over his numerous bruises.

“I’ve been better.” Rose closed the door, and turned to find him pointing some kind of wrist-mounted weapon at her, expression grim. “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve done to my favorite cousin?”

Rose paused. Flickers of potential outcomes ran in front of her eyes, a leftover gift from the Game. They led her the course of action she had already been considering: honesty.

“I’m afraid I _am_ your cousin, Jack. I know I’ve changed since… you last saw me, I suppose.”

His dark expression lightened to something more suspicious and less murderous. “Is this a time travel thing? Because it feels to me like a time-travel thing. Those have been happening a lot lately.”

“Not exactly. Come with me, and I’ll explain.”

Jack suspected that he was better equipped to lead her to the living room. Every few turns, Rose’s face turned somewhat blank before she resumed - as if she had memorized a map of the house but had never been inside it.

“Not exactly inspiring confidence when you can’t navigate your own place,” he commented, plopping down on a spotless white couch. His seatmate was a giant octopus in a princess dress. Jack declined to comment.

She smiled ruefully at him. “This isn’t the house I remember. Do you want something to drink?”

He held up a hand. “No, no, just please explain before I go back into shoot-y mode.” The wrist weapon had folded down but not detracted completely.

Despite his attempt to play cool, one leg was nervously vibrating up and down, and Rose realized that it was mostly out of concern for his cousin - her.

She sighed and settled into the loveseat. “It’s a bit of a long story...”

If there was anyone in the world to tell about Sburb, Jack appeared to be the one. He asked questions about game mechanics, quest and plot flags, each word more and more curious and less disgruntled. He nodded when she explained about the Scratch, and the group’s final return to a world not quite theirs anymore.

“I appear to have returned a mere day after I left, into a world that acts as if I have always been here.” Her expression was rather melancholy as she continued. “I have memories, real memories, of the Game, and the three years that have been lost to the ether.” She propped her head on one delicate hand. “But I also have memories of a life I’ve never lived. It’s… like watching someone else’s home movies. Pure information, without the emotional attachment.” She caught the look on Jack’s face and grimaced. “My apologies, I should have phrased that better.”

Jack flapped a hand at her. “No, I can take it.” He really couldn’t, but she needed him to, so he would anyways. “And… thanks for being honest with me, Rosie. It hurts that you don’t really remember me, but at least I know… up front, I guess?”

She nodded, looking vastly relieved. “Are you saying you believe me, Jack?”

The boy genius crossed arms behind his head, leaning back. “Yeah, I do. And I know a thing or two about having memories rattling around in your head that… aren’t quite right.” He frowned and flopped back forwards. “That said, I’d like to scan you and make sure that, A, you really ARE my cousin, and B, that you haven’t-” he waved a hand vaguely, “-suffered any weird effects from all of this.”

“And that my memories weren’t implanted by some ill-intending individual?” She was smiling now, far less tense than she had been over the whole conversation.

Jack grinned. “See, this is why you’re my favorite cousin - I don’t have to explain anything to you.”

Rose looked surprised for an instant, before smiling warmly. “Thank you, Jack.” Her smile turned impish. “Or should I call you _Jackie -Wackie_?”

As Jack spluttered protests, and Rose laughed at him, he still couldn’t help but think, ‘ _Now THERE’S the Rose I know and love._ ’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rose was originally calling for help making Kanaya (and the other trolls) some fake IDs. That's a story for another time.


	3. A Game He Can Finally Play Without Worrying About Dead Daves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave does what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Not as happy with this as the others, but felt it threw off the continuity, so to speak, to leave it out.
> 
> Dave fucks up timelines even in fanfic.)
> 
> (Also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfP9N28buk. More specifically, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKfP9N28buk#t=29)

“Hey, I thought you were on my side!”

“Nope.” Dave hefted the enormous, toy-like sword over one shoulder with ease. His other hand was occupied with the glittering artifact in front of them. “We doing this?”

Kimiko tossed her head between Jack and the admittedly dashing interloper. “Do you have a Wu to wager?”

Dave raised one eyebrow slowly and deliberately. “Do I need one?”

“That is how Showdowns are sort of supposed to work.”

“Fine.” Jack yelped as his coat hem shot up, and began frantically patting himself down. Dave’s hand stopped blurring to reveal a heavy ring. “Guess I’ll bet… what is this thing?”

“The Ring of Nine Dragons. Okay, Jack, and, uh...”

“Akwete Purrmusk.”

Kimiko gave him a sidelong look before Jack jumped in. “Dave, if you’re not going to help me, then give me my Wu back!”

Dave rolled his eyes and held the ring just out of unflying Jack-range.

“Anyways… I wager my Two-Ton Tunic against your Reversing Mirror and Ring of Nine Dragons.”

“Fine.” Jack stopped trying to snatch the ring back, though he was still pouting heavily. “The game is tree climbing. First to grab the Wu wins.”

“Agreed.” Kimiko glared at him before shouting, “Let’s go - Xiaolin Showdown!”

Dave was silent until the forest around them began to shift, and even then, only spoke when it had finished its transformation. “Trippy.”

There was a strained note to the word, but no time to ask about it. Kimiko held the bronze cloth high and again chorused with Jack, “Gong Yi Tanpai!”

“‘Begin The Showdown’? Really?” Neither of the other contestants noticed Dave’s muttering, too intent on jumping up the nearby branches and rocketing into the unnatural canopy above.

Jack had already activated his Helibot, only for Kimiko to try to drop on his head, Tunic activated. “Reversing Mirror!” He squawked, whipping the mirror up between them. It worked, but not as he would have liked. The Two-Ton Tunic’s properties reversed, sending Kimiko up like a helium balloon.

“Thaaaaaanks, Jack!”

“Aw, fer-” Jack raised his over-fancy wristwatch to his mouth to shriek for his Jackbots.

Dave shook his head, pulled out a cheap-looking katana seemingly from nowhere, and jumped onto a nearby branch. He sped up, targeting the whippiest-looking branches, using them to bounce him as high as possible. When he reached an empty patch of trunk, he slammed the katana blade in, kicking off it like he had the branches. Combined with his previous downward force, it sent him shooting to the treetop, and he snatched the Wu just out of Kimiko’s reach.

 **  
**Light shone, and they were all back on the ground, Wu piled in Dave’s arms. “Huh.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dave thought he was going to cry when Rose told him that someone would believe him about the Game (and time-travel troubles). Not that Jack'll ever know.


	4. Art of The Druknen Fist (*Drunken)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She's not even trying to hit you at this point, Jack. You're just apparently jumping into her punches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They bond over programming, though he wishes she'd stop showing Megan how to hack into the CIA until the kid learns to cover her tracks better. She also sneaks into his bed sometimes, when there's a particularly bad thunderstorm.

 

“Ow!”

Roxy stepped smartly back, her expression a combination of confusion, concern, and frustration. “C’mon, Jackers, I barely touched you!”

Jack rubbed his shoulder anyways. “Look, I’m just not a fan of getting hit, okay? Why do we even need to do this?”

Roxy settled back into a more neutral standing pose. “I know you dunt, don’t like getting your hands dirty, and maybe you’re kind weak, and, well, not good at fighting, like, _AT ALL_ -”

“Thanks so much.”

“-BUT you can at least learn how to dodge, or take a hit!”

Jack brushed invisible dust off of his shirt. “Can I at least choose to learn dodging, then?”

Roxy gave a groan of consternation. She really needed a fricking drink, danm it. “That’s what you’re _supposed_ to be doing. It only turns into ednurance lessons because you keep _FAILING_!”

Jack colored slightly, turning away with a huff. “I don’t see why I have to bother. You’d think I’d have learned fine, after Strider spent all last week pounding my ass into the floor.” He paused. “That didn’t come out right.”

Roxy rolled her eyes and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I know, I know, I remember how frick-fruck-freaked you got when the Showling guys thought you’n Rosie were dating!” It was a priceless memory, really.

Her tone softened. “I’m just worried about you getting hurt out there, Jackie. All of’em have all this, like, super fighter training, and then there’s, well, you. With your robots and super brain and kind of fragile bod, I mean,” she hastily added, not wanting to crush his spirits further.

He sighed, before turning back with a weak smile. “Yeah, I got you. One more go?”

She smiled. “One more go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He Strifes with Dave with boffer swords on the weekends. It's not going well.


	5. They Bond Over Robots and Arrogant AI Duplicates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If Dirk chose the Heylin way, nothing would stop them, would it?
> 
> Good thing Jack's above recruiting family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They keep accidentally borrowing each other's gloves and finally just put a basket in the hallway to pick out of. Rose, Dave, and Roxy started wearing them just to mess with these two.

“You’re undoing my work.”

Jack paused, though he didn’t lower the socket wrench. “I’m not undoing  _ your  _ work, I’m modifying  _ my  _ work to accommodate yours.”

Dirk sat on the floor next to him, in that graceful sprawl of limbs that Spicer envied so. If  he  had tried that, he would just end up in a helpless tangle. “Why?”

Jack gestured at one of Dirk’s frankly fantastic alterations. “Because it’s too dangerous like this.”

His cousin propped one arm on a knee, rest his face on it. Jack though he saw orange eyes glitter behind the anime shades. “Too dangerous… when launching it at your mortal enemies?”

Jack shifted uncomfortably, flipping his safety goggles (orange with spirals) down as he resumed work. “Well, yeah, it’s… it’s not the fun way to do things.”

“The fun- oh.” Dirk shifted to get a better look at Jack’s changes. “I see. This is all a game to you, isn’t it?”

He expressed only curiosity, not judgement or scorn. Jack found himself nodding without meaning to. 

“Yeah, I mean… until you guys came around, it was really lo-  _ boring  _ being me. They can’t match wits with me, of course-”

“Of course.”

“-but there’s four of them, so they at least  have a sporting chance.”

Dirk was quiet for several minutes, looking thoughtful, before taking a pair of pliers out of the toolbox and settling onto the floor next to his cousin. “You can leave that upgrade in if we remove  _ this  _ modification...”

 


	6. All Of Us, In Pieces, As A Whole

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is what life is like, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (CURRENTLY the last chapter. I may add more as I refine my work.
> 
> Yes, the trolls are alive and on Earth and nothing hurts.
> 
> I kind of like the idea of the Stri-Londes living out of Jack's house more or less indefinitely.)
> 
> And yes. Everyone is albino except for Megan. It runs in the family, apparently.

Jack would probably never admit it, but he liked having them there. Deep down (but not very deep), he hoped they’d never leave.

There’s a difference between a house with one occupant, and a house with five. Inaudible breathing synchronized, lulling them to sleep; tiny noises, items moved or left behind, the slight but stark differences between rooms previously empty and now lived in.

He’d never felt less alone.

He didn’t know life could be so sweet. A sappy, stupid cliche, but true all the same.

Dirk making pancakes in nothing but the jeans he’d slept in (but his hair was still perfect) while Roxy giggled and collected anything she thought would taste good on the flapjacks; Jack making omelets - mozzarella, green onions, ham, and sun-dried tomatoes, because they all liked the same things in their eggs - in a huge frying pan while Dave chopped fruit, the coffee machine rumbling between them. Rose sipping orange juice and doing her crossword, calling out clues and getting back a jumble of joking replies.

Even Megan, her mom dropping her off with a box of danishes bigger than the child herself. She only visited once a month or so, and she wasn’t in on the secret, but watching her dictate to Dirk the _exact_ ratio of butterscotch chips, mint bark, and blueberries to put into the pancakes became a sight more familiar than not (and with invariably delicious results).

There were other people he was happy to see join them - Kanaya, Equius (with whom he had argued about robotics at some length), John and Jade, even Wuya - but it wasn’t quite the same. There was something special about the five or six of them, sitting at the small kitchen table and on the halfwall and lounging half-on, half-off the kitchen island, arguing over crossword answers, tossing muffins and danishes over the heads of the others, scooping all the grapes out of their fruit salad to sneak into someone else’s or flick at someone’s nose…

He wondered if this is what people meant when they talked about their family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dirk, Dave, Rose, and Jack like to hold rap-offs while Roxy is teaching Megan to hack federal databases or helping to run the cameras. Rose is still winning by a landslide, and may have broken Jack's first three Rapbot attempts with sheer excellence alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Jack gave Jaspers to Rose on her fourth birthday.
> 
> And he may or may not have been a serious influence on her knitting ability.


End file.
